Louis Lefkowitz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Louis J. Lefkowitz (July 3, 1904 Manhattan, New York City - June 20, 1996 Manhattan, New York City) was an American lawyer and politician.

[edit] Life

He was the son of Samuel Lefkowitz and Mollie Isaacs Lefkowitz. On June 14, 1931, he married Helen Schwimmer (1908-1986). They had a son, Stephen Lefkovitz, and a daughter, Joan Lefkowitz Feinbloom.

He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1928 to 1930, elected in the 6th district of New York. In 1935, he became a municipal judge.

In 1957, he was elected New York State Attorney General by the New York State Legislature to succeed Jacob K. Javits who resigned after his election to the U.S. Senate. He was re-elected in 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 and 1974, holding the office for 22 years, the longest tenure since the office was established in 1777. In 1961, he was the Republican candidate for Mayor of New York City, but lost to Robert F. Wagner, Jr..

He was a delegate to the 1944, 1948, 1960 and 1964 Republican National Conventions, and an alternate delegate to the 1956 Republican National Convention. He was a moderate or even liberal Republican and part of the Thomas E. Dewey and Nelson A. Rockefeller faction of the New York GOP.

He died from Parkinson's disease at his home in Manhattan.

[edit] Sources

• [1] Political Graveyard
• [2] Obit in NYT on June 21, 1996
• [3] His wife's obit, in NYT on March 19, 1986